Centrally reinforced single compartment citrus box



E: c. BARKER Oct. 13, 1942. I CENTRALLIY REINFORCED SINGLE COMPABTMENTCITRUS BOX Filed Nov. 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

firizeeCficzr/zer BY A'ITORNEY6 Oct. 13, 1942. E. c. BARKE-R ENT FiledNov. 2'7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13, 1942. E. c. BARKER 2,298,452

CENTRALLY REINFORCED SINGLE COMPARTMENT CITRUS BOX Filed Nov. 27, 1959 ssneets-sheet :5

Patented Oct. 13, 1942 'CENTRALLY REINFORCED SINGLE COIVEPARTMENT CITRUSBOX Ernest C. Barker, Oak Park, 111., assignor to The Gerrard Company,Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 27,1939, Serial No. 366,259

5 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for fasteninga reinforcing wire about the center of an elongated citrus box.

While the invention is especially applicable to light weight slat boxesof the type commonly used in the packaging of citrus fruits, it is ofcourse equally applicable to other boxes of the same general type usedin the packaging of other commodities.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, and two modifications thereof,are presented herein for the purpose of exemplifi-cation, but it will ofcourse be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of embodiment instill other structurally modified forms coming equally within the scopeof the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a box equipped with the wire fasteningmeans of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box, at the location ofthe wire fastening clip;

Fig. 3 is a side View of the box;

Fig. 4 is another side view of the box, showing the opposite side;

Fig. 5 is a top View of the box;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the box;

Fig. 7 is a face view of the clip;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the clip;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the clip;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views corresponding to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, showinga modification of the and Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are similar views, showingstill another modification of the clip.

The box shown in the drawings is made of wood, is quite light in weight,contains but a single compartment, with no center partition, and isapproximately twice as long as it is wide or high. The box ischaracterized by a bottom it, two sides ll, two ends [2 and a top [3.

Each of the ends [2 consists of four head sticks l4 and a thin end panell5. The head sticks 14 are connected together at their ends, and the endpanel I5 is fastened to the head sticks on the inside of the box. Thebottom l9, sides I l and top l2 are substantially identical with eachother. Each consists of two thin slats l6 and three thin cleats ll. Theslats I 6 are arranged in slightly spaced relation to each other, with agap [8 between the same, and the cleats I! are stapled to the outerfaces of the slats, crosswise of the latter, at their centers and ends.The bottom l0 and sides I I are nailed at their ends to the lower edgesand side edges respectively of the ends l2, and, after the box is readyfor closing, the top it; is nailed at its ends to the upper edges of theends i 2, all as illustrated in the drawings.

A wire E9, of sufficient length to encircle the box, is stapled to thecenter cleat IT at one side of the box, with its ends 21) free, and ametal clip 2! is fastened to the center cleat H at the other side of thebox. The clip 2i is characterized by a iiat backing portion 22 which isadapted to lie fiatly against the outer face of the cleat ii, and by twolaterally extending tongues 23 which are adapted to be bent inwardlyabout the side edges of the cleat If in the openings afforded by the gap18 between the slats. The tongues 23, upon interlocking with the sideedges of the cleat ii in lateral abutment with the adjacent edges of theslats i5, anchor the clip firmly in position.

The clip 2! is provided on its outer face with wire engaging formations24, preferably in the form of upwardly and downwardly projectingoutwardly offset tongues 25, to which the free ends 2t of the wire l9are adapted to be made fast.

After the top I 3 has been placed in position on the box and its endsnailed down, the wire I9 is brought across the top, on the center cleatI1, and both ends 29 of the wire are pulled taut and twisted, preferablyone at a time, about the tongues 25 on the clip 2!, thereby stronglyreinforcing the box about its center. After the ends 25; of the wirehave been secured, the ends of the tongues 25 on the clip may, ifdesired, be defiected inwardly.

The wire is, instead of being stapled to the far side of the box, may bestapled to the bottom, or may be merely placed about the box withoutbeing stapled to the box at any point. When stapled to the far side ofthe box, the section of the wire which passes under the bottom of thebox may advantageously be drawn taut and secured to the clip 2| whilethe box is still empty, thereby keeping the box from spreading as muchas it otherwise might when the fruit or other objects are being packedin.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, the wire engagingformations on the clip consist of two pairs of laterally projectingoutwardly offset tongues 26. After the two wire ends 23 have been passedunder these tongues the latter may be bent inwardly against the cleat toobtain a firm grip on the wire without any necessity for twisting. Ifpreferred, however, the ends 20 of the wire may be cleated back andforth about the tongues 26.

In the modification shown in Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive the wire engagingformations are long reversely bent tongues 21 which extend firstoutwardly at 28 at an inclination to the backing portion 29 and theninwardly at 30 at an inclination to points slightly spaced from thebacking portion. The tongues 21 are provided in the portions 28 thereofwith small holes 3! through which the ends of the wire are adapted to bethreaded. After the wire has been passed through these holes and pulledtaut, the tongues 21 may be mashed down against the backing portion 29,thereby forming abrupt jogs in the wire at the edges of the holes, whichjogs will prevent the wire from working back through the holes. Theflattening of the tongues 21 will also result in a toggle action whichwill place additional tension on the wire.

A citrus box, when constructed and reinforced in this manner, will standup under rough.

handling, stacking and transportation, without breakage, and withoutdamage to the contents of the box. The interlocking anchorage of theclip on the box permits either end of the wire to be drawn taut andfastened while the other end is still free, without any likelihood ofunbalanced forces on the clip dislodging the same. If the wire has notbeen sealed in its twisted position for some special purpose, thesection of the wire passing over the top of the box may be readilyremoved and replaced to permit of interstate inspections duringtransportation. While no center partition is required to give the boxsufficient strength, such a partition can of course be added. Additionalreinforcing wires, about the ends of the box, may also be employed ifdesired, with additional clips for fastening the same, but ordinarily asingle center wire, with but one clip for the same will be adequate.

The word citrus as used in the foregoing description and followingclaims, is not intended to limit the invention to a box used only forcitrus fruits but rather to a box of the type ordinarily used for citrusfruits.

I claim:

1. In a centrally reinforced single compartment citrus box of the typewhich is approximately twice as long as it is wide or high, box sidescomposed of spaced slats with cleats secured to the outer faces of theslats crosswise of the latter at the center and ends, a wire stapled tothe center cleat on one of the sides of the box and provided with freeends which are long enough to encircle the box in line with said cleat,and a wire attaching clip on the other side of the box provided withanchoring tongues which are bent around the side edges of the centercleat on that side of the box in the gap between the spaced slats, saidclip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of theends of the wire may be separately secured.

2. In a citrus box, box sides composed of spaced slats with cleatssecured to the outer faces of the slats crosswise of the latter at thecenter and ends, a wire stapled to the center cleat on one of the sidesof the box and provided with free ends which are long enough to encirclethe box.

in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip at the other side ofthe box provided with integrally formed anchoring means in engagementwith the side edges of the center cleat on that side of the box in thegap between the spaced slats, said clip being provided with wiresecuring formations to which both of the ends of the wire may besecured.

3. In a citrus box, box sides composed of slats with cleats secured tothe outer faces of the slats crosswise of the latter at the center, awire stapled to the center cleat on one of the sides of the box andprovided with free ends which are long enough to encircle the box inline with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip at the other side of thebox provided with integrally formed anchoring portions in engagementwith the side edges of the center cleat on that side of the box, saidclip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of theends of the wire may be secured.

4. In a citrus box, box sides composed of slats with cleats secured tothe slats crosswise of the latter, a wire stapled to a cleat on one ofthe sides of the box and provided with free ends which are long enoughto encircle the box in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clipat the other side of the box provided with integrally formed anchoringportions in engagement with the side edges of a cleat on that side ofthe box, said clip being provided with wire securing formations to whichboth of the ends of the wire may be secured.

5. A citrus box in which one of the sides is composed of spaced slatswith a cleat connecting the slats in a position crosswise of the latter,and a wire attaching clip provided with portions which are hooked aboutthe cleat at the location of the gap between the slats, said clip havingwire securing formations to which both ends of a wire encircling the boxare adapted to be separately secured.

ERNEST C. BARKER.

